AppBreakup
Submit an app

Speechify alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 1, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Speechify: free plan has only robotic voices and slower playback, and premium is expensive when paid monthly. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Speechify, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. NaturalReader currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1NaturalReader logoNaturalReaderFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 462.6
2Balabolka logoBalabolkaFreeNoWindows5 of 559.6
3Parolu logoParoluOpen sourceYesLinux4 of 457.2
4ElevenLabs logoElevenLabsFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 438.6
  1. NaturalReader logo

    1. NaturalReaderTop pick

    Best for: Readers who want a TTS app on every device, or a one-time desktop licence instead of a subscription

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Speechify

    Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions.

    Pros

    • Desktop software sold with a one-time perpetual licence
    • Web, mobile, desktop and Chrome extension
    • Voices in over 90 languages
    • Separate commercial plans for voice-over use

    Cons

    • Best voices and OCR need a paid plan
    • Extra desktop voices cost more on top of the licence
    • Commercial use of the audio needs a separate licence
    Visit NaturalReader Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is NaturalReader a good Speechify alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Desktop licence
    One-time payment from $99.50
    Checked Nov 1, 2026naturalreaders.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free version
    Yes, with free voices
    Checked Nov 1, 2026naturalreaders.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Languages
    90+
    Checked Nov 1, 2026naturalreaders.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Supported files
    PDF, DOCX, EPUB, ODT, PPTX and more
    Checked Nov 1, 2026naturalreaders.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Balabolka logo

    2. Balabolka

    Best for: Windows users who want a free, offline way to turn e-books and documents into audio files

    FreeWindows

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Speechify

    Completely free Windows reader that saves audio files, if system voices are good enough.

    Pros

    • Completely free with no account
    • Reads a very wide range of document and e-book formats
    • Saves speech as audio files, with synchronised text
    • Portable and command-line versions

    Cons

    • Windows only
    • Voice quality depends on installed system voices
    • Dated, cluttered interface
    • Freeware, not open source
    Visit Balabolka Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Balabolka a good Speechify alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    Freeware
    Checked Oct 29, 2026cross-plus-a.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Voices
    Any installed system voice (SAPI)
    Checked Oct 29, 2026cross-plus-a.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Audio export
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026cross-plus-a.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Portable version
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026cross-plus-a.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Supported formats
    EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DOCX, ODT and more
    Checked Oct 29, 2026cross-plus-a.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Parolu logo

    3. Parolu

    Best for: Linux users and Esperanto learners who want simple offline text-to-speech

    Open sourceLinux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Speechify

    Free, open-source and offline on Linux, for people who want no account or subscription.

    Pros

    • Speech is generated locally with Piper voices
    • Ships with two Esperanto voices out of the box
    • Free and open source under the GPL

    Cons

    • Linux only
    • Voices for languages other than Esperanto must be downloaded first
    • No document import, browser extension or mobile app
    • Small one-person project with a short feature list
    Visit Parolu Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Parolu a good Speechify alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Speech engine
    Piper
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Bundled voices
    Two Esperanto voices
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Other languages
    Download a voice first
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. ElevenLabs logo

    4. ElevenLabs

    Best for: Creators and developers who need realistic AI voiceovers, voice clones or dubbing

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Speechify

    More expressive voices, voice cloning and dubbing for creators making audio content.

    Pros

    • Very natural, expressive voices across 90+ languages
    • Large voice library plus instant and professional voice cloning
    • Dubbing, music and sound effects in the same subscription
    • Well-documented API used by many apps

    Cons

    • Free plan has no commercial license
    • Credits are used fast on long audiobooks or dubbing
    • Professional voice cloning needs the Creator plan or higher
    Visit ElevenLabs Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ElevenLabs a good Speechify alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0 with 10,000 credits/month
    Checked Nov 1, 2026elevenlabs.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $6/month (Starter)
    Checked Nov 1, 2026elevenlabs.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Languages
    90+
    Checked Nov 1, 2026elevenlabs.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Voice library
    17,500+ voices
    Checked Nov 1, 2026elevenlabs.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Speechify alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

NaturalReader logo

Best Speechify alternative for most people

NaturalReader

Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions.

Balabolka logo

Best Speechify alternative for a free option

Balabolka

Completely free Windows reader that saves audio files, if system voices are good enough.

ElevenLabs logo

Best Speechify alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

ElevenLabs

More expressive voices, voice cloning and dubbing for creators making audio content.

Parolu logo

Best Speechify alternative for open source

Parolu

Free, open-source and offline on Linux, for people who want no account or subscription.

NaturalReader logo

Best Speechify alternative for Mac

NaturalReader

Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions.

NaturalReader logo

Best Speechify alternative for Windows

NaturalReader

Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions.

Parolu logo

Best Speechify alternative for Linux

Parolu

Free, open-source and offline on Linux, for people who want no account or subscription.

NaturalReader logo

Best Speechify alternative for iPhone and Android

NaturalReader

Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions.

NaturalReader logo

Best Speechify alternative for working in the browser

NaturalReader

Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions.

Speechify alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Speechify?

NaturalReader ranks first right now. Covers the same platforms and also sells one-time desktop licences instead of only subscriptions. Balabolka and Parolu follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Speechify?

Yes. NaturalReader (free plan + paid), Balabolka (free), Parolu (open source) and ElevenLabs (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Speechify?

Yes: Parolu.

Which Speechify alternatives work on Linux?

Parolu runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Speechify?

The complaints we hear most: free plan has only robotic voices and slower playback; premium is expensive when paid monthly; subscription only; no one-time purchase.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Speechify, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.